Quick Facts:

Top College Interests: Louisiana State University, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech University, Tulane University

Top Intended Majors: Pre-Medicine, Chemical Engineering, Biology

We’re headed down to the bayou for this month’s STEM Premier Spotlight on the state of Louisiana. As a major oil and gas producer, it should be no surprise to see chemical engineering top the list of intended majors of STEM Premier student members in Louisiana.

Although a large proportion reside in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans, STEM Premier student members are distributed fairly evenly across the state. Shreveport and Ruston in the north as well as Lake Charles and Lafayette in the south boast a fair share as well. Alexandria - located centrally - is not far behind.

In addition to chemical engineering, the top career interests of Louisiana’s students include mechanical engineering, nursing, and pediatriatrics.

ACT’s 2015 Condition of STEM Report on Louisiana highlights some interesting trends for the Pelican State. Although student interest in STEM has outpaced the national average since 2011, it has also seen a steady drop from 55% to 51% in 2015. The highest levels of STEM interest are in the engineering (28%) and medical (47%) fields, both of which exceed the national average for those areas (25% and 42%, respectively).